Inspiring You to Fly
By CORINN GUEMMER Photo by JOHN BURNS
For Stephen Osborne, a seasoned entrepreneur whose family has worked in the construction industry for generations, the sky is his second home.
He founded TOP Aviation Services after realizing he wanted to make his passion project — flying planes — into a business. Today, the flight services company runs out of Topeka’s Billard Airport.
“My love of aviation began when I was maybe six years old,” Osborne said. “My father, also a general contractor, would load me up in his Piper Saratoga and we would fly around the Midwest to see different construction projects. By the time I received my pilot certificate, I probably had 500 hours of flying right seat with my dad.”
Those unforgettable father-son experiences shaped Stephen’s life in unexpected ways. After joining Billard Airport’s Aviation Explorer Squadron when he was just 14 years old, he started to spend his weekends learning everything he could about aviation, washing planes and raising funds for flight-related activities.
“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to receive my private pilot certificate shortly after my 18th birthday,” Stephen said.
TAKING FLIGHT
Years later, Stephen’s sky-high hobby intersected with something more grounded: his construction career.
His full-time job is running the national general contracting firm Osborne Construction. The Topeka-based firm, founded nearly half a century ago, is best known for its work in commercial construction, building maintenance services and, more recently, the installation of electric airplane charging stations.
Osborne Construction’s portfolio features more than 2,400 projects and their client base spans all 48 contiguous states. In 40 of those states, they’ve installed a total of 1,500 DC fast chargers, with more being added.
Yet it was Stephen’s decision to buy two planes — a personal aircraft, which he uses to teach his kids to fly, and a second aircraft serving as Osborne Construction’s company plane — that sparked his next business venture.
“We purchased a small 1979 Cessna 152 with the intention of giving my children and their friends the opportunity to learn to fly just for fun,” Stephen said. “Of course, word spread, and we were quickly overwhelmed with requests for aircraft rentals and flight training opportunities from hundreds of people in the community.”
Stephen founded TOP Aviation Services in 2023. The transition from construction to aviation may seem unexpected, but for him, it made perfect sense.
“I personally traveled nearly 100,000 miles by commercial airline in 2018 and 2019 before we made the decision to purchase a small company plane,” Stephen said. “Shortly after acquiring our own company aircraft, our construction team was given five hours’ notice to attend a project meeting in Nashville, which is a 10-hour drive from Topeka but only a two-hour direct flight. Not only were we able to arrive on time, but we were awarded the project, which ended up being very successful.”
Being able to quickly travel to project sites within an 800 to 1,000-mile range from Topeka has greatly improved Osborne Construction’s operations. The flexibility of private flying allows Stephen and his team to bypass the time-consuming hassles of commercial air travel, such as connections and TSA lines.
It also lets them connect with clients on a personal level by flying them to different airports for lunch, turning a meal into a memorable experience.
“Some people golf, some people ski, I fly,” he said. “It’s my ultimate joy and escape.”
NAVIGATING NEW HEIGHTS
As demand for aircraft rentals and flight training grew, the business expanded steadily. But the company’s focus has always been on building personal relationships with students and renters.
Stephen said they are dedicated to offering personalized, high-quality training, which has helped them foster a loyal following.
“We’ve worked really hard at taking good care of our students, and that’s helped build a loyal student base,” he said. “We’re not just training pilots. We are raising up aviators who love the science and mystery of powered flight.”
Stephen added that he’s committed to keeping the operations personal, ensuring each student receives the attention and training they need to succeed.
“It’s not about growing for the sake of growing,” Stephen said. “It’s about ensuring that we’re offering the best possible experience for our students. If we get too big too quickly, we might lose that personal touch, and that’s something we want to avoid.”
GRADUATING WITH FLYING COLORS
When it comes to choosing a flight school, aspiring pilots have plenty of options. However, TOP Aviation Services offers an approach that sets it apart from other flight schools in the region.
As a Part 61 flight school, the company’s training programs offer more flexibility than what students would find at Part 141 schools, which are typically more structured and designed for full-time students.
Part 61 regulations allow students to balance their training with other
commitments. This can be a major benefit for students pursuing aviation while managing careers or family life, as well as anyone else who wants to complete their certifications as quickly as possible.
“We understand that our students are as unique as their dreams of flying,” he said. “Many of our students are busy professionals with demanding schedules, balancing careers and personal responsibilities. Our Part 61 program provides the flexibility to tailor lessons to fit each student’s availability, whether it’s evenings, weekends or other limited windows of time.”
TOP Aviation actively supports the Aviation Explorer Squadron to inspire the region’s next generation of pilots. They have even played a role in preserving aviation history by gifting a 1949 North American T-28 Trojan, a retired Air Force plane, to Topeka’s American Flight Museum.
TOP Aviation Services prides itself on providing a fleet of well-maintained aircraft that are ideal for both beginners and experienced pilots. The fleet currently includes two Cessna 172s and a Cessna 152, with a focus on the Cessna platform due to its widespread use and ease of entry.
“We chose the Cessna platform because it is familiar across the industry and offers a great experience for pilots of all ages and skill levels,” Stephen said. “Unlike competitor platforms, the Cessna 172 is great for a 15-year-old or an 85-year-old student. We’ve worked with both!”
Stephen said he wants the business to include more training aircraft and facilities in the future.
“In the next five to 10 years, we hope to have more than 10 training aircraft to support dozens of students at any given time,” he said. “We also plan to complete our new office and training facility in late 2025 and add a large hangar to house our aircraft in 2026.”
In 2024, TOP Aviation Services introduced a Basic Aircraft Training Device (BATD), an FAA-certified flight simulator that allows students to log hours toward their training.
“Our simulator is a fraction of the cost of a real airplane, and it provides a huge advantage in our program,” Stephen said. “We can place our students in complex training scenarios from the comfort of a classroom, enhancing safety later on in the aircraft.”
The BATD makes it possible for their students to train in a variety of weather conditions and flight scenarios that might otherwise be unavailable. Using flight simulators can significantly reduce the overall cost of flight training while still providing valuable, real-world experiences for student pilots.
BLUE SKIES AHEAD
For Stephen, the greatest reward of running TOP Aviation Services is watching his students reach new milestones in their training.
“My favorite part is seeing the smile on their face after their first solo flight,” he said. “This is typically the most memorable event in any pilot’s career, and it’s amazing to be a part of that experience.”
One of his favorite success stories involves a student who left his full-time career and moved to Topeka to pursue his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.
“Within one year, he completed all his ratings and is preparing for a career with regional airlines,” Stephen said. “It’s incredible to witness someone make such a big life change. Knowing that we played a part in helping him achieve his dream is incredibly fulfilling.”
For anyone considering learning to fly, Stephen’s advice is simple: “The best way to start and learn about aviation is to go on a discovery flight.”
Discovery flights are short introductory flights where prospective students can learn the basics of flying by taking the controls of an aircraft under the supervision of a certified flight instructor. TOP Aviation offers discovery flights for those who want to learn.
Stephen added that airlines are expected to ramp up hiring within the next year or two, making now the perfect time to start training.
